


Deathless

by SeaOfBones



Series: Hubert/f!Byleth Oneshots [6]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bittersweet, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Mentioned Black Eagles Students (Fire Emblem), POV Hubert von Vestra, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Presumed Dead, hubert barely threatens byleth at all, hubert refuses to admit he has even one feeling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25673662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaOfBones/pseuds/SeaOfBones
Summary: Hubert spent his year as Byleth's student keeping her at a distance. Just as he begins to believe he can trust their Professor, the Black Eagles lose her at the Battle of Garreg Mach.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Hubert von Vestra
Series: Hubert/f!Byleth Oneshots [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1500209
Comments: 8
Kudos: 75





	Deathless

The Empire’s provisional camp was crowded with students and soldiers, pressed in by walls of rough black stone. The years that Hubert had been by Lady Edelgard’s side had been leading to this moment. They were alone, now, more than ever. Lady Edelgard standing against the rest of Fódlan, with Hubert by her side.

Hubert, and Byleth. Byleth, who had stayed. They were free of pretending now, and where Byleth walked, the rest of their class followed.

“So this is it,” Byleth said, eyes clear and firm. The others had dispersed, to seek a warm meal and a cold bed. Hubert, as always, still had work to do. And yet, Byleth remained. “This is why you were so protective of Edelgard, and so suspicious of me. You didn’t know if she had put her trust into someone who would ally with the church, in the end.”

“Indeed,” Hubert admitted. He hesitated. For all that he had been tempted to bring her into their plans earlier… it was difficult to break the habit of secrecy. It was tempting, still, to hide little details from her. Continue speaking in detached irony, and guard how deeply he was committed to bringing about Lady Edelgard’s vision of the future. “You realise how suspicious you appeared. A new Professor with a mysterious past, apparently known to Lady Rhea. How… convenient your arrival was. Even now, it would be easy to distrust you.”

“And trust is not in your nature, or interest, I know,” Byleth replied, a faint frown crossing her brow. “Edelgard is your highest concern, and if I were a traitor, this is when she would be most vulnerable.”

“I’m glad you understand,” Hubert replied. It was strange, how he was… drawn to her most when she was accepting his declarations of distrust. The way she understood it as pragmatism, a condition of war to be worked with. She saw him, understood him, in a way that neither their classmates or their soldiers did. It was… useful to have, in a likely ally. 

“But regardless, I understand that gratitude is in order,” Hubert added. “Your students follow you more than they follow Lady Edelgard, I suspect. And I am not surprised. The winning of hearts and minds is… an area I am somewhat lacking in. I will plan as if you are as trustworthy as I hope you are, and prepare for the eventuality that you are not.”

“Reasonable,” Byleth replied. What he had said was true. And yet he knew it was more than that. His… curiosity about her had been a dangerous distraction for months. He would rely on her only as far as he needed to, tactically speaking. He could not let his focus wander from Lady Edelgard’s wellbeing.

“I have told you before that all I want is for my students to be safe,” she added. “I don’t know enough of Fódlan to understand Edelgard’s path. But she is my student, and I will protect her, and all of you, with my life. Even against Rhea.”

“Even if the time may come when we may have to fight our former classmates?” Hubert asked. Such a painful question brought him no pleasure, for once, but if she were to stay by Lady Edelgard’s side during the journey to come it was an essential one. “When you may have to raise your sword against Flayn?”

Byleth pressed her mouth into a flat line. “I don’t know the answer to that right now,” she replied. “But… it is a question worth asking.”

Hubert had known the answer before it was a question. For Lady Edelgard, he would. He had taken care to avoid forming guilty attachments to those he may have to cut down. And for the most part, he had succeeded.

“I suspect it’s a question on the minds of most of your students, presently,” Hubert said. “Not all are from the Empire. I doubt that reassurances will mean much, from me. Indeed, I suspect I would only strike further fear into them. But they seem to find _you_ reassuring. If I were to trust you with one task, it would be this - to follow the instincts that caused you to follow Lady Edelgard, and see to your students.”

Byleth lifted her eyes carefully. “Your classmates think more highly of you than you seem to believe,” she said. “I am not flattering you when I say that, Hubert. I know you dislike it. But you are loyal, clever, competent. All of those are admirable qualities.”

“And secretive, cruel, cold,” Hubert replied, folding his arms. “It is not with self-deprecation that I note that. I merely see myself, and I am sure an astute an observer as yourself is aware of those same qualities. They are necessary in a cause, but not desirable in a leader. I possess them so that Lady Edelgard does not have to. Our allies’ endorsement matters not to me. Only Lady Edelgard’s satisfaction with my work as her servant.”

“Be that as it may, _you_ are one my students too, Hubert,” Byleth replied, voice soft. “I will go to the others, as you asked. But theirs is not the only wellbeing I will be seeing to.”

Hubert’s mouth tried to form an objection, but could not put words to it. How arrogant this woman was, to think he needed her coddling! As if he were soft flesh, rather than hard steel. As if he were _merely_ one of her students, rather than of the same kind, equal behind only Lady Edelgard.

“Then be assured that I shall treat you, in turn, as any other of Lady Edelgard’s soldiers,” Hubert said hastily, his face burning with awareness of the sheer pettiness of his statement. “And see to your more practical needs as any other.”

Byleth wore the strangest smile on her face. It wasn’t… _unpleasant_. She spoke over her shoulder, as she walked into the cold camp.

“I look forward to it, then.”

\---

Byleth had turned her eyes back to him, as Garreg Mach crumbled beneath the Immaculate One. Puffs of chalky grey dust drizzled across her hair and shoulders from the sagging stonework above.

He needed no words to understand what she was asking him to do.

Accustomed to each other as they had become, he knew some parts of her mind as if they were his own. It was the same as he would ask of her, had their situations been reversed.

_Edelgard’s life is more important than mine. Get her out of here, now._

Byleth was out of his reach, and there was no time to cross to her. Hubert grabbed his Emperor by the arm, and made his gestures. An oily flash of dark magic. Hubert could feel the breeze rustling his hair, as he and Lady Edelgard watched Garreg Mach fall.

\---

Byleth’s pale hair fell over her shoulders as they pored over Lady Edelgard’s map of Garreg Mach. Her eyes clear, her face still. And that curious urge boiled in Hubert’s throat again. He knew that she was on their side, so to speak, and yet he could not help but wonder. Within that clever mind, what, precisely, was she thinking?

“The Holy Mausoleum isn’t on this,” Byleth noted. “Naturally, considering how closely the Church guards it. Did you notice anything there that could have posed a danger?”

“You retrieved the Crest Stones during our altercation,” Hubert replied. “But we should not assume that Rhea isn’t using it for some other purpose.”

“Then we plan for what we know they are capable of, and prepare for what we do not,” Byleth mused. She moved closer to him, her fingertips resting by his. Or rather, closer to the map of their forward fortifications, where his hand rested by a likely ballista location. Hubert felt himself tense involuntarily.

“Ah, there you are, Professor,” Lady Edelgard called brightly as she approached. “You two are practically inseparable these days. I’m surprised, considering your troubles at the academy. I’m glad Hubert seems to have warmed to you.”

“The Professor is our tactician, and I am the one with the information she needs. It would be impractical to keep the same distance from her,” Hubert protested. He was aware only as the words had left his mouth how… unnecessary his defensiveness was.

Lady Edelgard’s smile was almost mocking, as if they were still at the academy. “I wasn’t implying anything _untoward_ , Hubert,” she replied. “I trust you both with our plans.”

And yet, he knew there was still information he was keeping from her. From both of them. He had hoped to consult Byleth about Those Who Slither In The Dark, how best to dispose of them as quickly as possible. They were in danger of becoming over-reliant on them, if their own forces were not sufficient to overcome Rhea alone. At the moment, such concerns would only be a distraction to Lady Edelgard, but Byleth…

He wanted to confide in her.

“Hubert has been very helpful,” Byleth replied. “What did you need from me, Edelgard?”

“The armourer needs to speak with you,” Lady Edelgard replied.

Byleth nodded mildly. “Very well. Hubert can update you on what we’ve been discussing.”

“Farewell, then,” Hubert said stiffly. Lady Edelgard’s smirk faded to soft pity, as he realised he was watching Byleth leave.

“I do mean it, Hubert,” Lady Edelgard said firmly. “I am… pleased to see you working together so well. I feel I should apologise. You had… much of her company to deny, for my sake, while I was able to enjoy her friendship in full.”

Hubert shook his head, very slightly. Lady Edelgard had often urged him to indulge in the carefree academy days their classmates were capable of, and he had always refused. He could certainly not indulge them now. There would be no strolling through the academy grounds as he had known their classmates to partake in, no coffee and relaxation in the dark recesses of the forward camp. Hubert had put aside any desire for such an ordinary life when he bound himself to Lady Edelgard.

“It is of no matter, Lady Edelgard,” Hubert replied. “Our caution was necessary.”

“But still…” Lady Edelgard protested.

“The Professor and I are working together now,” Hubert said. If they had met her before the academy, if they could have confirmed their loyalty… what a deadly pair they could have made, this past year. But they could not have risked Lady Edelgard’s dream for one woman, and it was pointless to despair over it. There was no comfort for tools such as he, and he had functioned well enough without Byleth’s friendship.

With a sharp rap of his fingers, he summoned Lady Edelgard’s attention to the map.

“This will be a long campaign, Your Majesty. Byleth and I shall have reason to work together for quite a while. Take your solace in the fact that your cause has united us, for now. She shall be your right hand, and I shall be your left.”

Lady Edelgard nodded, as her eyes fell back to the map. Where his fingers laced through the deadly mazes of the battles yet ahead.

They would move together, he and Byleth. The dark wings that flanked Lady Edelgard as she moved through this world, lifting her together.

\---

The sky above Garreg Mach was still ablaze, the billows of smoke red and swollen like intestines.

Hubert stalked forward, hands tossing fallen rocks aside as he reached them.

Lady Edelgard called his name as she chased him, and for once, Hubert did not answer her.

He could not feel any space his magic could take him to within the collapsed building. But that did not mean that _she_ was not still in there. Clumps of stone thundered from the upper floors as another great tremor shook Garreg Mach from within, the great underground vaults slowly caving in, floor by floor.

“Hubert, we need to go _now_.”

Lady Edelgard reached him, her gauntleted hand grasping his upper arm. His leaden legs refused to move. He only stared forward into the ruin.

“She’s _gone_ , Hubert,” Lady Edelgard said, her unsteady voice failing to smother her own wavering sorrow. “Please. I can’t lose you today too.”

“Of course, Lady Edelgard,” he murmured hoarsely. “How… foolish of me.” He let her drag him away. As if he was in a daze, or not fully awake. Lady Edelgard was strong where he was not, gathering their scattered classmates, marshalling their survivors. Hubert fell in with the rest of the magic users.

“He looks like he has a concussion,” Mercedes commented, touching his arm carefully. He shook his head, shook her off.

“…Hubert, where is the Professor?” Dorothea asked, smothered panic.

Dorothea was clever. She must have already guessed. The pitying look she gave him when he did no more than shake his head again confirmed it.

But he did not desire her pity.

Hubert staggered onward, the aches of a long battle settling in his joints. Hubert staggered onward, as he always did.

\---

The Empire had much work to do.

But every so often, Hubert returned. To that part of Garreg Mach that was still in ruins, slowly excavated by their soldiers.

Every so often, he would check the logs of what they had dug up. He was not sure if he wanted to read that her body had been found. To know her fate, or allow himself to believe that she might be alive. Perhaps she had been captured by the Knights of Seiros. Perhaps her hazy memories had closed to her again, and she was living the life of a simple mercenary again.

It was a ridiculous fantasy, to imagine that he would find her. And yet he had to admit that he had imagined it.

The war felt alternately like months or like decades. Short, brutal skirmishes and long, brutal sieges. He had far more to occupy his mind than his former Professor. And yet, in the quietest moments, she haunted. A lost voice in the silence between himself and his classmates. The manoeuvres, when they went to battle, that he had been taught by her deadly hands.

And when he exhausted himself, spending long hours poring through reports in the library where they used to pass each other, he would remember only one thing when he finally blacked out. Her face, stern and still, laying her loose black jacket over his shoulders.


End file.
